1. EFFECTIVENESS OF RATIONAL CLOZE – TEST
AS INTEGRATIVE ASSESSMENT IN HISTORYAT
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
SAN PABLO CITY CAMPUS
ACADEMIC YEAR, 2012-2013
A Research Paper
Presented to the
Faculty of the College of Teacher Education
Laguna State Polytechnic University
San Pablo City Campus
San Pablo City
In Partial of Fulfillment
Of the Requirements in
Methods of Research for the Degree
Bachelor of Secondary Education
Major in Social Studies
MARILYN ATIENZA MENDOZA
October 2012
Chapter I

2. The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
The cloze procedure is considered by many as an 'integrative' method of
assessment, in contrast with 'discrete point' methods, The Cloze procedure deals with
several linguistic components at once, focusing more on language use, and typically
requiring the examinees to read and comprehend a substantial amount of discourse. Much
research has been devoted to the validity and the reliability of Cloze tests. Cloze tests are
reported to have moderate to high correlations with standardized tests and their subtests
such as listening comprehension and reading comprehension. The report on high
correlations between Cloze tests and International Journal of Human and Social Sciences
tests of listening comprehension, writing, reading comprehension, and oral interview. The
findings of these researchers reveal a relation between the scores on Cloze and global
language ability tests.
As for C-test, since its inception in 1981, its principles have been applied to more
than 20 languages. C-tests have been used in numerous contexts and for various purposes
.C-tests, then, figure prominently in the fields of language testing and assessment. C-
tests, like the classic Cloze test, are an operationalization principle of reduced test.
Although there are weaknesses in the reliability of cloze procedure, it is widely used in
English teaching. As Legenza and Elijah (2001) point out, many studies have been
conducted on cloze procedure concerning the construction of cloze tests, the relationship
between cloze and reading comprehension, and the usefulness of cloze as a teaching

3. technique. Cloze procedure has been used in English teaching in accordance to History
subject for decades since 1953. It was firstly used as an instrument for assessing the
readability of written materials for school children in the United States (Brown, 2002).
Then it was used in teaching for different purposes.
Cloze procedure is not only valuable in providing information as to how readable
the particular texts are for the students who are going to have to use them, but also
invaluable as a means of comparing different text. Cloze procedure is also used for
testing purposes. It seems that a wide range of skills like vocabulary, grammar, structure,
and reading skills are involved in the process of completing a cloze procedure. Many
researchers indicate that cloze procedure is a good test of overall English language
proficiency and in History. For example, Ahluwalia (2005) claims that cloze procedure is
an integrative, global measure of language competence. She explains that cloze tests
measure the grammar of expectancy underlying the skills of thinking, understanding,
speaking, reading, understanding and writing. For Cohen (2001 cited in Ahluwalia, 2005)
cloze procedure measures global language competence consisting of linguistic
knowledge, textual knowledge, and knowledge of the world. As it calls on examinee to
use knowledge such as vocabulary, grammar, sentence construction, text structure,
cohesion and the reader‘s prior background knowledge.
Askes (2002) regards cloze procedure as one of the integrative tests (global tests)
that integrate language components into a total language event, which requires an
integrated performance from the learner in a meaningful context. Thus for Steinman
(2002), a cloze can replace the sections on test structure, written expression, vocabulary,

4. and reading comprehension not only in English subject as well as different areas of
learning.
The reason behind giving a Cloze test and obtaining a test score is interpreting
that score as an indicator of what a test taker knows or what he/she can do with that
knowledge. Furthermore, our interpretation of that test score forms the basis for decision
making. As such, when using a test score, we make an implicit link between test
performance and a domain of language knowledge the test taker has or something the test
taker can do with language in some language use domain beyond the test itself. In other
words, when we use test scores, we are essentially reasoning from evidence, using the
test score as the evidence for inferences or interpretations and decisions we want to make.
Yet, we cannot simply draw on test score to make inferences and decisions without
efficient justification. If we want to use a test score for a particular purpose, we must
justify it through a rationale and supporting evidence. As Bachman (2005) puts it, "We
need to demonstrate, with logical argumentation and empirical evidence, that the
intended interpretations and uses are valid." Validity in testing and assessment has
traditionally been understood to mean "discovering whether a test measures accurately
what it is intended to measure", or uncovering the "appropriateness of a given test or any
of its component parts as a measure of what it is purposed to measure".
Background of the Study
Cheng (1999) claims that the term ‗cloze procedure‘ was first developed by
Wilson Taylor in 1953. He explains that the term cloze derived from the Gestalt
psychology concept of ‗closure‘. It describes a tendency that humans have to complete a

5. familiar but not-quite-finished pattern. Ellis (2004) further explain that it refers to the
tendency of individuals to complete a pattern once they have grasped its overall
significance. Rye (1982) explains that Cloze procedure is essentially a cognitive task. The
reader has to reason and construct suggestions to fill the gap on the basis of the evidence
derived from the context the completion of meaning, based on understanding and
reasoning is a cognitive task. Brown (2002) claims that it is not difficult to get people to
take a cloze test because of the compulsive human need to fill gaps.
Clarke (2001) was the first to study cloze procedure for its effectiveness as an
instrument for determining the readability of materials in the reader‘s native language in
1953. After that initial study, it was investigated for its appropriateness as a measure of
readability of L1 and L2 materials. In the 1960s, studies focused on cloze tests as a
measurement of reading comprehension in L1 and L2. During the 1970s, cloze tests
began to be used as a measurement of overall L2 proficiency (Ahluwalia, 1992:82).
Today, cloze tests are widely used in some places (such as China) and as part of some
large-scale language. What is a cloze test? A standard cloze test is a passage with blanks
of standard length replacing certain deleted words which students are required to
complete by filling in the correct words or their equivalents. During traditional cloze
testing, every fifth word is removed from a 250-500 word reading passage, and is
replaced by a standard-length blank space (Helfeldt et al, 1986:216). Usually, no word is
omitted either in the first or the last sentence of the passage. Students are required to
supply either the original word of the author or an appropriate equivalent in the blank
space. Many studies show that the reliability and the validity of cloze tests are affected by
factors like the rate of deletion, nature of the text and scoring systems, etc. ‗Deletion rate‘

6. refers to the frequency of deleting words. As Steinman (2002:293-294) explains, there are
two options in designing a cloze test according to its deletion rate: a random cloze or a
rational cloze. A random cloze deletes every nth word consistently, so that all classes and
types of words have an equal chance of being deleted. A rational cloze is the one in
which a specific type of word is deleted according to a linguistic principle, such as nouns,
verbs, adjectives, etc.
Alderson (2000) cited by Yamashita (2003:269) clearly differentiates between
these two types of format by calling the rational cloze ‗gap-filling tests‘ and confining the
term ‗cloze‘ only to the random cloze. Ahluwalia (1992:83-84) states that different
deletion rates would result in either increasing the difficulty of the text or in
unpredictable differences in the difficulty. Another factor that would affect the reliability
and the validity of the cloze is the nature of the text. The nature of the text such as its
familiarity level and difficulty level would improve or hamper cloze performance
(Ahluwalia, 1992:86-88).
However, Alderson (1980, 1983 cited in Ahluwalia, 1992:86) and Yamashita
(2003:286-287) argue that cloze test performance is not directly related to the difficulty
level of the text; it involves other factors such as scoring procedures, and content
familiarity for the readers. Different scoring methods include: exact word method,
multiple-choice scoring method and contextually acceptable word method. 16‗Exact
word method‘ requires the examinee to provide the original word deleted from the text
while ‗contextually acceptable word method‘ allows for the words that fit the gap either
to be synonyms of the deleted.

7. Statement of the Problem
This study aims to know the effectiveness of cloze – test as integrative
assessment in history at Laguna State Polytechnic University, San Pablo City Campus,
Academic Year, 2012-2013.
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1 Age;
1.2 Gender;
1.3 Grade point in history subject?
2. What is the level of perception of the following assessment – related variables as
perceive by the respondents:
2.1 Controllability;
2.2 Reliability and validity; and
2.3 Usability?
3. What is the mean score of the respondents in Cloze – test?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the person – related factors and their
perception of the following variables:
4.1 Controllability;
4.2 Reliability and validity; and
4.3 Usability?
5. Is there a significant relationship between the level of perception of the
respondents and their mean score in Cloze – test?

8. 6. Is the grade point average in History is significantly related to the result of Cloze
– test?
Scope and Limitations
This study focused on the effectiveness of Cloze test in measuring performance
related to History subject.
It is limited only to twenty - nine (29) respondents of the third year students who
are enrolled in Academic Year 2011-2012 at Laguna State Polytechnic University – San
Pablo City Campus, they were randomly selected.
In this study, the researcher used instruments such as survey questionnaire
intended for students and 25 items for measuring their performance using Cloze type of
test which served as the main instrument of the study.
Significance of the Study
The study will be significant to the following:
Teachers and instructors especially for those specializing History, for it will
benefit them in a way of identifying the factors underlying proper assessment;
Students, for it will help them to improve and be competent in studying History
and provoke their interest.
Parents, to furnish and give aid for their children an interest to learn the
complexities of motivating a child in History;

9. And finally, for researchers, for it will help them gain satisfaction for knowing
some insights about the given problem and develop research skills to be more productive
in the field that they had chosen to belong in the future.
Theoretical framework
Cloze technique, developed by Taylor (1952), is firstly designed as a tool for
measuring readability of texts, and now it has been used widely as an exercise or test
method in foreign language teaching and testing. ―It works on the principle of closure and
anticipation, in that the reader is required to reconstruct systematically mutilated passage‖
(Hofman, J. E. & Habib-Allah, M., 1982:276). Actually, as early as 1971, John Oller
advocated that cloze testing was an excellent integrative test. Joseph Boyle and Peter
Falvey (1994) claims that cloze test is one variant of integrative tests, too. And they
believe that ―for cloze test, it is pragmatic expectancy grammar that constitutes the trait
that reflects linguistic competence‖. In addition, many researches from 1970s to 1980s on
cloze test supply people with an objective viewpoint that cloze test is a reliable and valid
test method to investigate the difficulty level of the text and the test-takers‘ capability in
reading comprehension. It can be used as a part of standard integrative language
proficiency testing and a subsidiary tool for language teaching.
Cloze is originally called ―cloze procedure‖, whose theoretical foundation is Gestalt
psychology. Those psychologists believe that when people observe the shape of an object,
they will unconsciously fill in the broken part. Such is the case in reading process. A
sentence or a passage, deleted some words, is just like a broken picture. People will
complete it unconsciously according to their comprehensive language knowledge. The

10. Gestalt theory also claims that the more familiar with the picture the easier for people to
recognize it. Expounded in language learning, the case is that the higher language
proficiency the higher ability to complete the broken passage.
Besides the Gestalt theory, researchers try to use Redundancy Information theory
and Expectancy Grammar theory to explain the cloze test. In Longman Dictionary of
Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, redundancy is defined as ―the degree to
which a message contains more information than is needed for it to be understood.
Languages have built-in redundancy, which means that utterances harbor more
information than is necessary for comprehension. And 50% of normal language is said to
be redundant‖. Li Xiaoju (2001) also approves that in cloze test, people use the
redundancy information of natural language to complete the broken language. Actually,
this theory is crucial for Chinese learners when learning English. The process of
accumulating language knowledge is the process of recognizing the redundancy
information in English language. However, the information is necessary in that it can
make the meaning of the text much more accurate, although it is regarded as more than is
needed. For Chinese students, the recognition of the redundancy information is helpful
for them to improve their sensitivity to the English language environment and their
ability to understand the inner relationship in language itself and the consistency of its
usage, which enhances the students‘ language proficiency. Therefore, the cloze test
removes some redundancy information from the completed text to examine whether test-
takers obtain the capability to comprehend the broken passage and to fill in the blanks or
not.

11. Expectancy Grammar was firstly advocated by Oller in 1976. Later Carter (1998)
believes that it refers to language user‘s comprehensive language ability to use syntax,
semantic and discourse knowledge. In reading process, the reader can use the ability to
predict in what way the sentence will end and to what trend the text will develop. Cloze
test investigates the very ability acquired by language learners through long-term learning
and perception, and proficient mastering of language structure as well as basic use
principle of the target language. In a broken passage, according to the context and their
language ability, students can predict the syntactic and semantic function of the deleted
word, along with the relationship between the word and the other part within the
sentence.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework of this study is presented to give view of the work to
be done. The inputs or the independent variables are the profile of the respondents mainly
3rd year high school students and their perception regarding the effectiveness of a test
which composed of Controllability, Reliability and Validity and Usability.
The process is the strategy to be used such as generating data through the use of
questionnaire. The possible output or the dependent variable is the result or their
performance in History by means of using Cloze Test. It is assumed to be affected by the
independent variable.

12. Paradigm
Independent Variables Dependent Variable
I. Profile of the respondents
Age
Gender
Cloze – Test
Grade in history
II. Assessment – related factors
Controllability
Reliability & Validity
Usability
Figure1. Shows the relationship between the independent variables (profile of the
respondents and the assessment – related factors) and the dependent variable or the Cloze
– test in History.
Hypotheses
1. There is no significant relationship between the person – related factors and their
perception to the assessment related variables.
2. There is no significant relationship between the level of perception of the
respondents and their mean score in Cloze – test
3. There is no significant relationship between grade point average in History and
their result of Cloze – test

13. Definition of Terms
For a better understanding of this study, the following terms are
operationally defined.
Cloze Test. Refers to integrative assessment in measuring higher cognitive task, deals
with several linguistic components at once, focusing more on language use, and typically
requiring the examinees to read and comprehend a substantial amount of discourse.
Age. Refers to how old or young a particular person was.
Gender. It refers to a particular person whether s/he is a male or a female.
Grade Point Average. Refers to the recent average grade of 3rd year high school students
during 2012 – 2013.
Controllability. It refers to the level of manipulation of effectiveness of Cloze type of
test.
Validity. Refers to what purports to measure in a given context.
Reliability. Refers to the consistency of Cloze test in assessing History subject.

14. Chapter II
Review of Related Literature and Studies
The chapters presents a selection of literature and studies that has a
bearing on present study. Most of the literature gathered comprises Cloze Test
procedure.
Related Literature
Cloze test has been changing and developing. According to different deletion and
fill-in-blank methods, it can be mainly classified to fixed-ratio cloze, rational cloze,
multiple choice cloze, C-test and banked cloze.
Fixed-ratio cloze was proposed by Oller in 2005. It is constructed by deleting words
according to a fixed pattern, either at even numbers (4, 6, 8, 10, etc.) or at odd numbers
(5, 7, 9, 11, etc.). ―This procedure is intended to sample regularly various variants of
words, some of which are governed by local grammatical constraints and wide discipline
vocabularies in sorted areas of History, Mathematics, Statistics, others of which are
governed by long-range textual constraints‖. The advantages of this cloze variant are
convenience and high consistency, while there are also a lot of problems such as some of
the blanks being too easy or too difficult, the broken passage sometimes arousing test-
takers‘ dislike and resulting in a dilemma for testers to choose subjective or objective
scoring method, and being lack of control which possibly leads to examine the language
points the designer doesn‘t want to test actually. Rational cloze can also be called open
cloze or gap-filling. The test developer control over the types of the words deleted such

15. as functional words, verbs or nouns, and thus the language traits measured. This selected
deletion changes the random of cloze testing into objectivity and practicality. Just like in
fixed-ratio cloze, test-takers have to fill in the blanks in rational cloze according to their
comprehension capability. ―Rational cloze research and practice rests on the assumption
that different cloze items can be explicitly chosen to measure different language traits‖
(Chapelle & Roberta, 1990:122). The understanding advantage of rational cloze is that
the test designer can select particular item to determine test-point. However, it is
confronted with the problem that subjective or objective scoring method, either.
In order to solve the scoring problem of fixed-ratio and rational cloze, test
developers design multiple-choice cloze. This cloze test format requires test-takers to
select the correct answer from the provided options. It offers four or five options to each
blank, while only one is the correct answer and the others are distracters. There are no
accepted answers which get rid of scoring controversies. Generally speaking, high
reliability is the specialty of multiple-choice cloze. However, the inappropriate options or
explanation of new words will give test-takers some hints, which possibly reduce the
difficulty level and the validity of test. Therefore, multiple-choice cloze demands test
developers‘ enough attention and obeying some strict rules.
A cloze test (also cloze deletion test) is an exercise, test, or assessment consisting
of a portion of text with certain words removed (cloze text), where the participant is
asked to replace the missing words. Cloze tests require the ability to understand context
and vocabulary in order to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the

16. deleted passages of a text. This exercise is commonly administered for the assessment of
native and second language learning and instruction.
The word cloze is derived from closure in Gestalt theory . The exercise was first
described by W.L. Taylor in 1953.
Words may be deleted from the text in question either mechanically (every nth
word) or selectively, depending on exactly what aspect it is intended to test for. The
methodology is the subject of an extensive academic literature; nonetheless, teachers
commonly devise ad hoc tests.
A Cloze test removes certain words from a sample of your text and asks users to
fill in the missing words. Your test participants must rely on the context as well as their
prior knowledge of the subject to identify the deleted words. It‘s based on the Gestalt
theory of closure—where the brain tries to fill in missing pieces—and applies it to written
text.
It looks something like this:
If you want to __________ out whether your site __________ understand your content,
you __________ test it with them.
It looks a lot like a Mad Lib, doesn‘t it? Instead of coming up with a sentence that
sounds funny or strange or interesting, participants must guess the exact word the author
used. While Cloze tests are uncommon in the user experience field, educators have used

17. them for decades to assess whether a text is appropriate for their students, particularly in
English-as-an-additional-language instruction.
Here‘s how to do it:
Take a sample of text—about 125-250 words or so.
Remove every fifth word, replacing it with a blank space.
Ask participants to fill in each space with the word they think was removed.
Score the answers by counting the number of correct answers and dividing that by the
total number of blanks.
A score of 60% or better indicates the text is appropriate for the audience.
Participants who score 40-60%, will have some difficulty understanding the original text.
It‘s not a deal breaker, but it does mean that the audience may need some additional help
to understand your content. A score of less than 40% means that the text will frustrate
readers and should be rewritten.
It might sound farfetched, but give this method a try before you dismiss it. In a
government study on healthcare information readability, an expert panel categorized
health articles as either easy or difficult. We ran a Cloze test using those articles with
participants—who had low to average literacy skills—and found that the results reflected
the expert panel‘s findings. The average score for the ―easy‖ version was 60, indicating
the article was written at an appropriate level for these readers. The average score for the
―difficult‖ version was 39: too hard for this audience.

18. Cloze tests are simple to create, administer, and score. They give you a good idea
as to whether the content is right for the intended audience. If you use Cloze tests—either
on their own or with more traditional usability testing methods—know that it takes a lot
of cognitive effort to figure out those missing words. Aim for at least 25 blanks to get
good feedback on your text; more than 50 can be very tiring.
When to test
Test your content at any point in your site development process. As long as you
have content to test, you can test it. Need to convince your boss to budget for content
testing? Run it through a readability formula. Got content but no wireframes or visual
design? Run a Cloze test to evaluate content appropriateness. Understands the content
key to a task or workflow? Display it in context during usability testing.
What to test
You can‘t test every sentence on your site, nor do you need to. Focus on tasks that
are critical to your users and your business. For example, does your help desk get calls
about things the site should communicate? Test the content to find out if and where the
site falls short.
So get to it
While usability testing watches what users do, not what they say they do, content
testing determines what users understand, not what they say they understand.

19. Whatever your budget, timeline, and access to users, there‘s a method to test
whether your content is appropriate for the people reading it. So test! And then, either
rest assured that your content works, or get cracking on that rewrite.
A language teacher may give the following passage to students:
“ Today, I went to the ________ and bought some milk and eggs. I knew it was
going to rain, but I forgot to take my ________, and ended up getting wet on the
way ________. ”
Students would then be required to fill in the blanks with words that would best
complete the passage. Context in language and content terms is essential in most, if not
all, cloze tests. The first blank is preceded by "the"; therefore, a noun, an adjective or
an adverb must follow. However, a conjunction follows the blank; the sentence would not
be grammatically correct if anything other than a noun were in the blank. The words
"milk and eggs" are important for deciding which noun to put in the blank; "supermarket"
is a possible answer; depending on the student, however, the first blank could either
be store, supermarket, shop or market while umbrella or raincoat fit the second.
The definition of success in a given cloze test varies, depending on the broader
goals behind the exercise. Assessment may depend on whether the exercise is objective
(i.e. students are given a list of words to use in a cloze) or subjective (i.e. students are to
fill in a cloze with words that would make a given sentence grammatically correct).

20. “ I saw a man lay his jacket on a puddle for a woman crossing the street. I thought
that was very ______. ”
Given the above passage, students' answers may then vary depending on their
vocabulary skills and their personal opinions. However, the placement of the blank at the
end of the sentence restricts the possible words that may complete the sentence;
following an adverb and finishing the sentence, the word is most likely an adjective.
Romantic, chivalrous or gallant may, for example, occupy the blank, as well
as foolish or cheesy. Using those answers, a teacher may ask students to reflect on the
opinions drawn from the given cloze.
In addition to use in testing, cloze deletion can be used in learning, particularly
language learning, but also learning facts. This may be done manually – for example, by
covering sections of a text with paper, or highlighting sections of text with a highlighter,
than covering the line with a colored ruler in the complementary color (say, red ruler for
green highlighter), so the highlighted text disappears; this is popular in Japan, for
instance. Cloze deletion can also be used as part of spaced repetition software, and
the Super Memo application features semi-automated creation of cloze tests, particularly
as part of its incremental reading feature.
Related Studies
The Cloze test is used primarily to determine a student‘s level of reading ability.
A student is first tested for reading level; in this case the Slosson oral has previously been
administered. After a student‘s reading level has been determined, a reading selection is

21. taken from a book of like grade level. As is standard, every fifth word is removed and
replaced by a blank space, in this assignment there were 20 blanks in the selection. In this
assignment, as was suggested, a paragraph of text preceded the actual test material.
Evaluation of the test determines a student‘s reading level; an independent reading level
indicates that the student could read the selected book on their own, instructional level
means that the student can read the book with assistance and frustration level means that
the book is difficult for the student to read and is likely above the student‘s reading grade
level. For the purposes of this assignment, the following scale was assigned for
evaluation: the independent reading level is based as 50% or more of the blanks filled in
correctly, instructional level is 30% - 50% and frustration level is rated as 30% or less of
the blanks correctly filled in.
On Friday, October 6, 1995, I administered a Cloze test to a student named
Natalie at Stivers Middle School in Dayton, who I had administered a Slosson oral test to
the previous week. On the Slosson oral, Natalie scored in the 8th grade reading level
(8.95 to be exact). Taking her Slosson score, I set out in search of a text book involving
African American studies, an area she is very interested in. After much searching, I
secured the book African American History at the Wright State ERC and submitted it to
Fry Graph analysis (attachment 1). Taking three 100 word samples randomly from the
book I computed the approximate reading grade level of the book. Sample 1 consisted of
7.3 sentences and 149 syllables, sample 2 had 9.2 sentences and 155 syllables and sample
3 had 8.5 sentences and 158 syllables. The average of the samples was 8.33 sentences and
154 syllables. I plotted this point on the graph, and fortunately it fell within the 8th grade
reading level. I then constructed a Cloze test to be administered.

22. The test was administered to Natalie during the 4th period in the same conference room
Mrs. King had selected for me to give Natalie the Slosson oral test the previous week. I
explained the test to Natalie and gave her the test to fill out (attachment 2). While Natalie
was taking the test, I either sat down at a nearby table or walked to a nearby
window. Natalie finished the test in about eight minutes, and I quickly compared it to my
master copy (attachment 3). I then sat down with Natalie and asked her why she had
chosen each of her selections, the correct and incorrect ones alike. I recorded her
responses, and thanked her for helping me and she returned to class.
Natalie correctly filled in 11 of the 20 blanks (55%) and placed in the independent
reading level. Below is a chart of error, indicating the correct response, the response
given, the reason the answer was given, if there was a change in grammar and if there
was a change in the meaning of the statement. Following the chart will be a more detailed
account of why each incorrect answer was given.
I asked Natalie why she chose each of her selections, and asked her if other
words would make sense in the context of the sentence. I did this for all 20 selections;
including the ones she got right as well as the ones she got wrong. For example on
selection 1, which she filled in correctly, I asked her if ‗is‘ would have worked. She
promptly told me that everything was in the past, so ‗is‘ would be wrong.
In her first mistake on the test, Natalie substituted ‗food‘ for the word
‗literature‘. I asked Natalie if the word ‗literature‘ would fit better, and Natalie told me
that most likely books would be together with art. On the second mistake, Natalie used
the phrase ‗brought on‘ instead of ‗stimulated‘. I asked her about using ‗stimulated‘ and I

23. was promptly asked what the word meant. The third mistake made was the substitution of
the phrase ‗in many‘ instead of ‗of‘. When I asked Natalie about this, she read the
sentence back with ‗of‘ in its place and said it didn‘t sound right. On this I really had to
agree.
The fourth mistake made was the usage of ‗racism‘ instead of ‗oppression‘.
When I asked Natalie about this I was met with the same response I got for ‗stimulated‘:
what does it mean? Natalie‘s next mistake came when she used ‗art‘ instead of ‗society‘
in the selection. Again I asked her about using society in the sentence, and Natalie said it
seemed right to her since art had been used before in the paragraph.
Natalie‘s sixth error was in putting ‗something‘ in the selection instead of
‗things‘. When I asked her about the possibility of using ‗things‘, she simply told me that
nobody used that word that way. Again, I would have to agree with her since I have heard
few people ever say ‗things new‘. The seventh mistake was the use of ‗movement‘
instead of ‗Renaissance‘. As I had done several times before, I asked her about her choice
and asked if ‗Renaissance‘ would have worked. Natalie‘s response was that it wouldn‘t
work because a renaissance is something 'really old'. I could understand this reasoning,
since the only time students really hear this term is in early European history.
The eighth mistake made on the Cloze test was the use of the word ‗racist‘
instead of ‗this‘. I really didn‘t understand this substitution, and when I asked about it
Natalie said that she couldn‘t think of anything else, that she had used ‗racist‘ before in
the selection and ‗racist‘ was the only thing she could associate with New York in the
context of the sentence. The ninth, and final, mistake Natalie made was the use of the

24. phrase ‗period for‘ instead of ‗by‘. By this time Natalie seemed tired of all this and
simply said she couldn‘t think of any other word to use. She wanted to return to her class,
so I thanked her for putting up with me and my tests and let her return to the room.
From my perspective, most of Natalie‘s errors on the Cloze test could be
attributed to two things: she was unfamiliar with some of the vocabulary used and the
text in some places was written in a way in which few students (or adults for that matter)
speak. So, what can be done about it? If this had been an actual textbook assignment, one
thing that could be done is to provide the students with a list of vocabulary words they do
not understand completely.

25. Chapter III
Research Methodology
This chapter describes how the study was conducted and the researcher used in gathering
the necessary data for the completion of the study. This includes the research design, the
population and sampling, sampling procedure, data gathering procedure, research instrument and
the statistical treatment of data.
Research Design
This study used the quasi - experimental type of research in determining the
effectiveness of Cloze Test in measuring History as a subject in secondary level since the
absence of a control group. The possible solutions obtained through a questionnaire as
well as interviews and observation made by the researcher. This study used of the third
year students in Laguna State Polytechnic University as its respondents, the main source
of data. They were selected by random order among the total number of junior level. The
instrument used was a collaboration of information based on Crystal,
David (2004). Contextual Constraints in Cloze Test. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. ISBN 0-521-53032-6. Some of its modifications were undertaken to adapt on the
research problem and scope of the study.
Population and Sampling
This study was conducted at Laguna State Polytechnic University, San Pablo City
Campus Academic Year 2012-2013. The researcher gets a representative for 3rd year high
school department to suit the twenty - nine (29) respondents needed for the study.
A purposive sampling as a sampling technique was utilized.

26. Sampling Procedure
To determine the sample size needed for the study, the researcher used random
sampling technique. This sampling technique is unbiased since the respondent has the
same chance of being chosen and the selection of respondent has no influence of the
selection of other respondents.
Research Instrument
The main instrument used in the study is a questionnaire which was used to know
person related factors such as age, gender, and grade point in history during second
semester A.Y. 2012- 2013. And an integrative assessment in History comprises of twenty
– five (25) items using Rational Cloze Test procedure.
Statistical Treatment of Data
The data were gathered from the respondents treated and interpreted using the
statistical tools. The following statistical analysis was coded in the study:
Survey Questionnaire
Age
Legend:
14y/o below – 1
15y/o – 2
16y/o and above – 3

27. Gender
Legend:
Male – 1
Female – 2
Current Grade Point in History
Legend:
93 and above – 1
90 – 92 – 2
87 – 89 – 3
84 – 86 – 4
81 – 83 – 5
80 and below – 6
Cloze test
Legend:
correct – 1
incorrect - 0
Percentage distribution was utilized to describe the person related variables in
terms of, age, gender, and grade point in history.
For the assessment – related factors. The researcher utilized the mean and
standard deviation using a Likert scale, 5 being the highest, denotes ‗strongly agree‘ and
1 being the lowest, denotes ‗strongly disagree‘.

28. To find that if there is a relationship existing between the independent and
dependent variables, Pearson Product Moment of Correlation Coefficient was used to tell
how well two sets of continuous data correlate to each other at 0.05 level of significance.

29. Chapter IV
Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data
This chapter presents the findings of the study in illustrative tables and analysis as
well as the interpretation based from the treatment of the data.
Table 1
Distribution of Respondents According to Age
Age Frequency Percent
14 y/o below 8 28
15y/o 20 69
16y/o and above 1 3
TOTAL 29 100
Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents according to their age, the majority of the
respondents are 15y/o having twenty (20) or 69% of the total respondents.
This implies though the inability to randomize the selection because the research has lack of
features of the true experiment and based on the experimental values the respondents are
equipped subject for experimental condition since they undergone
History as subject. As Datta (2002) mentioned Cloze tests require the ability to understand
context and vocabulary in order to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the
deleted passages of a text. This exercise is commonly administered for the assessment of native
and second language complex learning and instruction.
Table 2
Distribution of Respondents According to Gender
Gender Frequency Percent
Male 12 41.38
Female 17 56.62
TOTAL 29 100
Table 2 clearly shows that female outnumbered the male having a frequency of 17 or 56.62%
and the male has 12 frequency or 41.38%.
This implies that more female are subjected in the experimental condition.
Table 3
Distribution of Respondents According to Grade Point in History
Grade point Frequency Percent
93 and above 0 0
90 – 92 6 21
87 – 89 10 34

30. 84 – 86 8 28
81 – 83 5 17
80 and below 0 0
TOTAL 29 100
Table 3 shows the grade point average in History of the respondents. The highest grade point
average that the respondents attained ranged from 87 – 89 having a frequency of ten (10) or
34% second ranging from 84 – 86 having a frequency of 8 (eight) or 28% followed by 90 – 92
having six (6) or 21% subsequent to that is ranged from 81 – 83 and the grade point average of
93 and above and 80 below has zero frequency.
Table 4
Respondents’ Perception on Controllability as a Factor of Integrative Assessment
Standard
Indicators Mean Remarks
Deviation
1. The Cloze test procedure can easily adjust Strongly
4.55 0.56
the instructional planning. Agree
2. It can limit the learners the extension of Strongly
4.72 0.58
different vocabularies. Agree
3. Can easily manipulate by the teachers and Strongly
3.72 0.83
learners as well. Agree
4. Placement of the blank at the end of the
Strongly
sentence in the passage restricts the possible 4.59 0.56
Agree
words that may complete the sentence.
5. The instructors can readily assume the
4.0 0.74 Agree
fairness in the interpretation results.
Strongly
TOTAL 4.32 0.65
Agree
Legend:
4.21 – 5.0 : Strongly Agree
3.41 – 4.20 : Agree
2.61 – 3.40 : Fair
1.81 – 2.60 : Disagree
1.0 – 1.80 : Strongly Disagree
However, Alderson (1980, 1983 cited in Ahluwalia, 1992:86) and Yamashita (2003:286-287)
argue that cloze test performance is not directly related to the difficulty level of the text; it
involves other factors such as scoring procedures, and content familiarity for the readers.
Table 5
Respondents’ Perception on Reliability and Validity as a Factor of Integrative Assessment
Standard
Indicators Mean Remarks
Deviation
1. Cloze test have adequacy and Strongly
4.55 0.56
representativeness of learning outcomes. Agree

31. 2. The passage measures what it purports to
4.14 0.59 Agree
measure.
3. Cloze test must first consider the errors of Strongly
4.31 0.70
measurement. Agree
4. It can easily interpret the test results to Strongly
4.76 0.73
improve teaching and learning. Agree
5. It has a value of testing as a tool to improve Strongly
4.90 0.55
instruction and learning performance. Agree
Strongly
TOTAL 4.53 0.63
Agree
Legend:
4.21 – 5.0 : Strongly Agree
3.41 – 4.20 : Agree
2.61 – 3.40 : Fair
1.81 – 2.60 : Disagree
1.0 – 1.80 : Strongly Disagree
. Much research has been devoted to the validity and the reliability of Cloze tests.
Cloze tests are reported to have moderate to high correlations with standardized tests and
their subtests such as listening comprehension and reading comprehension. The report on
high correlations between Cloze tests and International Journal of Human and Social
Sciences tests of listening comprehension, writing, reading comprehension, and oral
interview. The findings of these researchers reveal a relation between the scores on Cloze
and global language ability tests (Greene, 2001).
Table 6
Respondents’ Perception on Usability as a Factor of Integrative Assessment
Standard
Indicators Mean Remarks
Deviation
1. It manifests strong retention constructed –
3.48 1.04 Agree
response type.
2. Creates critical reasoning for learners on Strongly
4.62 0.89
how to arrive on precise conclusions. Agree
3. Learners can employ to assess vocabulary, Strongly
4.48 0.56
understanding facts, seeing, relationships, Agree

32. drawing inferences, detecting author‘s
literary style, and approximating the
patterns of language structure.
4. The test provides communicative skills in
Strongly
understanding such areas of learning such as 4.55 0.97
Agree
in the history subject.
5. Contributes logical argumentation and
empirical evidence for learners such as Strongly
4.46 0.62
resourceful in resolving authentic problems Agree
in studying history.
Strongly
TOTAL 4.32 0.82
Agree
Legend:
4.21 – 5.0 : Strongly Agree
3.41 – 4.20 : Agree
2.61 – 3.40 : Fair
1.81 – 2.60 : Disagree
1.0 – 1.80 : Strongly Disagree
A sentence or a passage, deleted some words, is just like a broken picture. People
will complete it unconsciously according to their comprehensive knowledge. The Gestalt
theory also claims that the more familiar with the picture the easier for people to
recognize it. Expounded in language learning, the case is that the higher language
proficiency the higher ability to complete the broken passage and promotes higher order
thinking skills but also more on life – relating tendencies which could be applicable to
further level of a child.
Table 7
Distribution of Result in Rational Cloze Test
Item no. Frequency Percent Mean Interpretation
1 13 52 0.45 Satisfactory
2 13 52 0.45 Satisfactory
3 8 32 0.27 Fair
4 9 36 0.31 Fair
5 13 52 0.45 Satisfactory
6 12 48 0.44 Fair
7 2 8 0.06 Needs improvement

33. 8 12 48 0.17 Fair
9 5 20 0.51 Needs improvement
10 15 60 0.51 Satisfactory
11 15 60 0.37 Satisfactory
12 11 44 0.06 Fair
13 2 8 0.34 Needs improvement
14 10 40 0.04 Fair
15 12 48 0.27 Fair
16 8 32 0.41 Needs improvement
17 12 48 0.17 Fair
18 0 0 0 Needs improvement
19 5 20 0.51 Needs improvement
20 0 0 0 Needs improvement
21 8 32 0.27 Fair
22 11 44 0.06 Fair
23 6 24 0.22 Needs improvement
24 6 24 0.22 Needs improvement
25 13 52 0.45 Satisfactory
TOTAL 221 100 0.28 Fair
Legend:
24 – 25 : Outstanding
20 – 23 : Very Satisfactory
13 – 19 : Satisfactory
8 – 12 :Fair
0 – 7 : Needs Improvement
This table shows the result of the cloze test of 3rd year high school, as we observed item number
10 and 11 has a high frequency which interpreted as ‘Satisfactory’ based on the scale values
above having a 60% of the total correct answer. As we look generally there are more results
ranged from 8 - 12 thus the mean score of the respondents based on the experiment which is
interpreted as ‘Fair’.
This implies that the respondents performed the test even-handedly since the total
interpretation is said to be ‘Fair’ with regards to this Legenza (2001) reasoned behind giving a
Cloze test and obtaining a test score is interpreting that score as an indicator of what a test
taker knows or what he/she can do with that knowledge. Furthermore, our interpretation of
that test score forms the basis for decision making. As such, when using a test score, we make
an implicit link between test performance and a domain of knowledge the test taker has or
something the test taker can do with schema in some area use domain beyond the test itself.
Table 8
Correlation between the Person – related factors and Assessment Variables
Variables r - value p - value Interpretation
Age .209 .0320 Not Significant
Gender .227 .0411 Not Significant

34. Grade Point Ave. .124 .0309 Not Significant
Legend:
p >.05 : not significant
p <.05 : significant
The advantages of this cloze variant are convenience and high consistency, while there are also
a lot of problems such as some of the blanks being too easy or too difficult, the broken passage
sometimes arousing test-takers’ dislike and resulting in a dilemma for testers to choose
subjective or objective scoring method, and being lack of control which possibly leads to
examine the language points the designer doesn’t want to test actually. Rational cloze can also
be called open cloze or gap-filling.
Table 9
Correlation between Assessment – related variables and Cloze Test
Variables r - value p - value Interpretation
Controllability -.789 .0776 Not Significant
Reliability and
.076 .0467 Not Significant
Validity
Usability .098 .0202 Not Significant
Legend:
p >.05 : not significant
p <.05 : significant
This procedure is intended to sample regularly various variants of words, some of which
are governed by local grammatical constraints and wide discipline vocabularies in sorted
areas of History, Mathematics, Statistics, others of which are governed by long-range
textual constraints (Datta, 2002).
Table 9
Correlation between Grade Point Average in History and Cloze Test
Variable r - value p - value Interpretation
Grade Point Ave. -.565 .0676 Not Significant
Legend:
p >.05 : not significant
p <.05 : significant

35. Askes (2002) regards cloze procedure as one of the integrative tests (global tests)
that integrate language components into a total language event, which requires an
integrated performance from the learner in a meaningful context. Thus for Steinman
(2002), a cloze can replace the sections on test structure, written expression, vocabulary,
and reading comprehension not only in English subject as well as different areas of
learning.
The reason behind giving a Cloze test and obtaining a test score is interpreting that score
as an indicator of what a test taker knows or what he/she can do with that knowledge.
Furthermore, our interpretation of that test score forms the basis for decision making. As
such, when using a test score, we make an implicit link between test performance and a
domain of language knowledge the test taker has or something the test taker can do with
language in some language use domain beyond the test itself. In other words, when we
use test scores, we are essentially reasoning from evidence, using the test score as the
evidence for inferences or interpretations and decisions we want to make. Yet, we cannot
simply draw on test score to make inferences and decisions without efficient justification.
If we want to use a test score for a particular purpose, we must justify it through a
rationale and supporting evidence.

36. Chapter V
Summary, Conclusions, And Recommendations
This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions, and
recommendations related to the effectiveness of Cloze test in assessing History subject.

37. Appendix A
Laguna State Polytechnic University
San Pablo City Campus
San Pablo City
LETTER TO THE DIRECTOR OF LABORATORY HIGH SCHOOL
Date:
Nelia T. Salvador, Ed.D.
Laguna State Polytechnic University
San Pablo City Campus, San Pablo City
Greetings of the day!
I am fourth year student of Laguna State Polytechnic University San Pablo City
Campus, taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in Social Studies. I am
presently conducting a study entitled ―Effectiveness of Cloze Test in History at Laguna
State Polytechnic University San Pablo City Campus A.Y 2012-2013.
I would like to ask permission from your good office to evaluate teacher‘s
performance by administering a researcher-made test to twenty - nine (29) third year high
school students of LSPU-SPCC.
It is in this juncture that I express my warmest gratitude. Should my request be
granted. Thank you very much.
Truly yours,
MARILYN A. MENDOZA
Researcher

38. Appendix B
Republic of the Philippines
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
San Pablo City Campus
San Pablo City
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
LETTER TO THE RESPONDENT
Date:
Dear Respondents,
This is in reference to my study of the requirements for the course Methods of Research
entitled ―Effectiveness of Cloze Test in History at Laguna State Polytechnic University‖.
The data that will be gathered from you will be extremely useful for the successful
realization of my research.
It is in this juncture that I express my warmest gratitude. And will be treated with strictest
confidentiality. Thank you very much.
Very truly yours,
Marilyn A. Mendoza
Researcher

39. Appendix C
Republic of the Philippines
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
San Pablo Campus
Del Remedio, San Pablo City
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
Survey Questionnaire
I. Profile of the Respondents
Direction: Please fill in the blanks with your personal information
Name (optional):____________
Age:__________
Gender: male ( ) female ( )
Grade point in History subject 1st semester 2012 – 2013:____________
II. Perception of the respondents ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS OF CLOZE – TEST
AS INTEGRATIVE ASSESSMENT IN HISTORY.
Direction: Please indicate your responses on the following statements by putting a check
(√) using the scale below as follows:
5 – Strongly Agree
4 – Agree
3 – Fair
2 – Disagree
1 – Strongly Disagree

40. A. Controllability
1 2 3 4 5
indicators
1. The Cloze test procedure can easily adjust the instructional
planning.
2. It can limit the learners the extension of different vocabularies.
3. Can easily manipulate by the teachers and learners as well.
4. Placement of the blank at the end of the sentence in the passage
restricts the possible words that may complete the sentence.
5. The instructors can readily assume the fairness in the interpretation
results.
B. Reliability & Validity
1 2 3 4 5
indicators
1. Cloze test have adequacy and representativeness of learning
outcomes.
2. The passage measures what it purports to measure.
3. Cloze test must first consider the errors of measurement.
4. It can easily interpret the test results to improve teaching and
learning.
5. It has a value of testing as a tool to improve instruction and
learning performance.
C. Usability
1 2 3 4 5
indicators
1. It manifests strong retention constructed – response type.
2. Creates critical reasoning for learners on how to arrive on precise
conclusions.
3. Learners can employ to assess vocabulary, understanding facts,
seeing, relationships, drawing inferences, detecting author‘s
literary style, and approximating the patterns of language structure.
4. The test provides communicative skills in understanding such
areas of learning such as in the history subject.
5. Contributes logical argumentation and empirical evidence for
learners such as resourceful in resolving authentic problems in
studying history.

41. III. Cloze – test (adopted from Crystal David’s educational research: Cambridge 2004)
Directions: Read the passage and hint or predict the word that was removed and
replace it with the word that best fits the intended meaning in a passage. (Time allotment
is 25minutes).
The cat has a 1.__________ as fascinating and mysterious as the creature
itself. The true beginnings of the domestic cat are unknown, but the cat may have first
appeared around3000 B.C. in a 2.__________ called Nubia, which bordered Egypt. By
2500 B.C., the cat was domesticated in Egypt. The cat's first 3.__________ in Egypt was
Mau. The Mau‘s 4.__________ in Egypt grew rapidly; she was eventually considered
guardian of the temple and was worshipped as a goddess. Besides being worshipped as
goddesses, cats also had a practical 5.__________: they kept 6.__________ from
overrunning the Egyptian grain store-houses.
The Greeks were probably the first 7.__________ to recognize cats for their
mouse- catching talents. When International Journal of Human and Social Sciences 5:9
2010556Egyptians refused to sell or trade any of their cats, the Greeks 8.__________
several of the Egyptian cats and sold the 9.__________ of these stolen cats to Romans.
The cat became the 10.__________ of liberty in ancient Rome. By the end of the
eleventh 11.__________ cats were popular among sailors because of their rat-catching
skills. Sailors admired cats because they 12__________ disease-infested rats which lived
on ships. Many sailors believed that cats possessed special powers that could
13.__________ them at sea.
Although the cat was held in high regard and fancied during 14.__________
times, the cat didn't fare will in Europe in the Middle Ages. Cats were associated with
evil, witchcraft, and black 15.__________. Many people believed that 16.__________
regularly transformed themselves into cats. Men and women were killed for helping a
17.__________ or injured cat. During the witch-hunts in Europe many innocent people
were accused of witchcraft simply because they owned cats. Black cats were especially
feared. Some legends and 18.__________ about cats exist today, like that about the nine

42. lives of cats. Another legend that survived from Europe's Middle Ages into the present
states that a black cat crossing one's path brings bad 19.__________.
Today the elegant, graceful cat has become a popular house 20.__________
throughout the 21.__________. The cat is one of the smartest of tame animals, but they
are independent and harder to train. Cats are valued for their gentle, affectionate natures.
They have 22.__________ memories; they 23.__________ who treats them well and who
treats them badly. A cat's loyalty is earned; a cat won't stay where it is 24.__________.
They respond to loving owners with loyalty, affection, and respect. Cats are noted for
their keen senses: their sharp hearing, sense of smell, and ability to 25.__________ in
near darkness. Perhaps Leonardo Da Vinci summed it up best when he referred to the cat
as ―Nature‘s Masterpiece.‖

43. Appendix D
The Cloze test answer key:
1. history
2. country
3. name
4. status
5. function
6. mice
7. Europeans
8. stole
9. kittens
10. symbol
11. century
12. destroyed
13. protect
14. ancient
15. magic
16. witches
17. sick
18. superstitions
19. luck
20. pet
21. world
22. good
23. remember
24. mistreated
25. see

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